RESEÑAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS

The Danger Faced by David

"Gate of Reincarnations": Chapter Seven, Section 10

Although his Nefesh was intact, King David was in danger of losing his portion in the Resurrection of the Dead as a result of his sin with Bat Sheva because his Ruach had entered the world while his Nefesh was still completing itstikun.

Knowing this, you can understand what concerned King David when he said, " Many have said, 'For my Nefesh there is no salvation for it from G-d.' Selah." (Psalms 3:3).

Knowing what was taught in the previous section we will now be able to understand how

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King David could seem to be poised on the verge of destruction.

It is strange that people should have spoken so badly about such a great person as It is strange that people should have spoken so badly about such a great person as King David. However, to u

King David. However, to understand this we must be precise abounderstand this we must be precise about what is written. Itt what is written. It is written, "…There is no salvation for it

is written, "…There is no salvation for it [him]." It should have been written,." It should have been written,

"…There is no salvation for it

"…There is no salvation for it [her]" if it referred back to the word "my" if it referred back to the word "my Nefesh Nefesh""

mentioned at the beginning of the verse.

mentioned at the beginning of the verse.

The Nefesh of King David…descended to the Malchut of spiritual impurity…

It was written in the verse, "…There is no salvation from G-d for it." At first glance it would seem that the subject referred to by the pronoun "it" is the Nefeshof King David that has no hope of salvation because of his sin with Bat Sheva. However, the Hebrew word used for the pronoun "it" is "lo", which refers to the masculine. If "it" were referring to the Nefeshof King David, then it would have to use the feminine word "lah", because Nefesh is

a feminine noun.

It will now be understandable based upon what has been said. The

It will now be understandable based upon what has been said. The Nefesh Nefeshof Kingof King David was very elevated. As a result of the primordial sin of Adam it descended into David was very elevated. As a result of the primordial sin of Adam it descended into the depths of the

the depths of the kelipot kelipoton the side of theon the side of the Nukva Nukva [the feminine side]of theof the kelipot kelipot..

In other words, it descended to the Malchut of spiritual impurity. Malchut is the lowest of the sefirot , and the feminine side is generally below the masculine side. Therefore, at the least, we must understand that it descended very low indeed.

When David was born, it was the first time it had left thekelipot. Therefore, it began its tikun only from the level of Asiya, which is called Nefesh. The reason [for this] is that it was a gilgul from Level Three.

Like all Third Level souls, the soul of King David fell from Adam into thekelipot . However, this particular soul did not begin anytikun whatsoever for many, many

generations. Therefore, when it was reborn into a human body to begin the process of tikun, it had descended to the lowest possible level.

We often meet the rule that the highest levels ascend to the lowest places. And things that were on the lowest levels must eventually ascend to the highest places. This is exactly the case of the soul that was born into King David. In the time of the Resurrection of the Dead there would be no salvation for the body of David…

This is the secret of what is mentioned

This is the secret of what is mentioned ininSabbaSabbaof of Mishpatim Mishpatim(Zohar, 103a), and many(Zohar, 103a), and many other places as well, that David was from the "feminine side" and not the "masculine other places as well, that David was from the "feminine side" and not the "masculine side". Rather,

side". Rather, [the srcin of his soul was] in the "World of Death" that is calledin the "World of Death" that is called Nukva Nukva..

Understand this.

Understand this.

It is said of the Malchut-Nukva that "Her feet go down to death…"; this is a general characteristic of Nukva-feminine relative to the masculine in all places. Indeed, the soul of

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King David descended to such a low place that it was devoid of the ability to survive in this world even one second, but Adam gave it seventy years of his own life.

Thus, it was asked there

Thus, it was asked there [in Saba of Mishpatim], "Why was he called 'Oved'?", "Why was he called 'Oved'?"

Oved was the grandfather of David. He and his son, Jesse, the father of David, made possible the birth of this soul that had sunk to the lowest of levels. The name "Oved" means

"devotee" or "worker". The Holy Zohar inSaba of Mishpatim compares him to someone who is working on an orchard. His name derives from the fact that he did such good work rectifying the supernal tree that becomes the line of Mashiach.

"The tree was lacking, and he rectified it." ( Zohar , 2:103b)

In other words, Oved began the process of tikun that resulted from the sin of Adam, and the Zohar says that Jesse, David's father, continued the process, paving the way for King David to become king and prototype of Mashiach. However, since the tikun was not complete, the ability of the soul of David to grow was limited in its first lifetime.

It

It [the soul of David]was immersed in the depths of thewas immersed in the depths of the kelipot kelipotof theof the Nukva. Nukva.Since thisSince this was the case, David was only able to acquire his

was the case, David was only able to acquire his Nefesh Nefesh, leaving his, leaving his Ruach Ruachto come into come in the body of another person. When David sinned with Bat Sheva, he blemished his the body of another person. When David sinned with Bat Sheva, he blemished his Nefesh

Nefesh..

Although the Talmud teaches that David did not commit any formal sin, his behavior throughout the incident of Bat Sheva was so dismal and disappointing for someone on the level that he had already attained that it amounted to a very serious setback to his spiritual progress.

As a result, it became possible for the one who possessed his Ruachto merit completion of its tikun before David could rectify his Nefesh. In the time of the Resurrection of the Dead there would be no salvation for the body of David. The other body belonging to the one who had the Ruach will take both the Nefesh and the Ruach.

Consequently, this phenomenon that was srcinally considered a blessing becomes a curse.

Originally it was considered a good thing that the Ruachcan be made throughkavana to descend into a second body to be rectified there while the Nefesh is still undergoingtikun in the first body. Nevertheless, there is a danger in this phenomenon to the body and person of the Nefesh, as we have learned. The one with the Ruach might finish itstikun first, and come to take both the Ruach and the Nefesh in the time of Resurrection of the Dead.

Apparently this upheaval can occur if the evil committed by one with such an important and high Nefesh is serious enough, or if he repeats the evil consistently enough.

However, the

However, the Nefesh Nefeshitself will not be damaged, only the itself will not be damaged, only the body. This is why he said,body. This is why he said,

"there is no salvation for it

"there is no salvation for it [lo - meaning him]," and not, "there is no salvation for it," and not, "there is no salvation for it [lah- meaning her]."

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"There is no salvation for it (lo-him)," refers to the body of David, and not to his Nefesh, which would require a feminine pronoun.

This is the way the verse goes. "Many say…" - that since there is only a Nefesh within me, she has no hope in the body of David at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead.

[Commentary by Shabtai Teicher.]